[OSGeo-Discuss] Can I do the same GIS tasks with OS (as with ESRI)?

[Saka Royban]

ٍExcellent discussion.
I have been an ArcGIS user and now i am transferring to OS.
in my opinion, the best point of ArcGIS is that you everything in 1 package => simplifying tasks
about OS, at least i see no difference in Web-GIS domain. OS softwares like UMN mapserver and Mapguide OS sometimes work better.
in the field of Desktop GIS, although QGIS, GRASS,Sharpmap and other tools are available but in a diverse manner.
the main problem is that the most powerful OS sotfware (GRASS) in this area is under Linux not windows (=> developing desktop GIS tools sounds very difficult). As announced by GRASS dev group, this problem is gonna solve soon.

===> OS GIS support most of expected needs from GIS, but sometimes with consuming more time.


----- Original Message ----
From: Malte Halbey-Martin <malte at geog.fu-berlin.de>
To: OSGeo Discussions <discuss at lists.osgeo.org>
Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2008 11:56:26 AM
Subject: Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] Can I do the same GIS tasks with OS (as with ESRI)?

Hi,

IMHO the most barrier for people using OS GIS is the lack of a user
friendly interface, especially for map production and digitising. I know
that this has been stated before in this thread, but I want stress this
point out.

I'm working as as supporter and software trainer for a software company
and not few of our customers are paying much money for applications,
which simplifys/extend the common ArcGIS funcitonallity! Most people are
overstrained about the functionallity of GIS software. I think the users
of GIS have changed over the past decade. More common people have to
work with GIS (especially public servants). GIS has become a common
software tool so the users aren't only specialist as some years ago!
This "new" users just want to have a button and that's it. Don't ask
them to create a sql string for extracting some data out of a database.

So as already mentioned, OS GIS NEEDS as userfriendly Interface,
powerful digitizing and map production tools which are easy to use. When
these issues have been solved, we will see a strong rising spread of  OS
GIS software.

Just my opinion.
Malte
PS: I love OS Software, but I just want to see a rising distribution of it!


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